This research proposes to examine the linkages between population growth, composition, and change, and the public policies of muncipal governments in cities and suburbs of metropolitan areas of the United States. We propose to examine community size, growth rate, density, fertility rate, age structure, population mobility, housing characteristics family characteristics, and racial composition, as well as change over time in all of the variables for three time periods - 1950, 1960, and 1970 - in a selected sampling of city and suburban governments in the nation's 247 metropolitan areas. The purpose of the research is: 1) to determine the consequences of populations growth, composition, and change for city and suburban governments, in terms of policy choices, costs, and outputs in a wide range of areas - policy and fire protection, sanitation, welfare, education, health, transportation, planning, housing, urban renewal, and taxation; and 2) to determine the impact of municipal policies in these areas on population growth, composition, and change. Cross-sectional, time lagged, and change analysis for population and policy data for three time periods, will permit inferences about both the causes and consequences of muncipal policies for cities as well as suburbs.